1 Kings 11:25

1Ki 11:25 And he was an adversary to Israel all the days of Solomon, beside the mischief that Hadad [did]: and he abhorred Israel, and reigned over Syria.

Ver. 25. All the days of Solomon.] But stirred not much till he saw Solomon effeminate, infatuated and become contemptible. See Hos 13:1, {See Trapp on "Hos 13:1"} Beside the mischief that Hadad did, {1Ki 11:14} see the like in Isa 9:12-13, - "The Syrians before, and the Philistines behind, and both devouring Israel with open mouth: for all this God’s anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still." And why all this? "For the people turneth not unto him that smiteth them, neither do they seek the Lord of hosts."

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

1Ki 11:25. He was an adversary to Israel all the days of Solomon — This, perhaps, is not to be understood of the whole reign of Solomon, which for the most part was peaceable, but of all the days which remained of his life, from the time that his wives publicly exercised their idolatry, unto the day of his death. Or, it may mean, that he was a secret enemy all that time, and when Solomon had forsaken God, he showed himself openly. Besides the mischief that Hadad did — This infelicity was added to the former; while Hadad molested him in the south, Rezon threatened him in the north. But what hurt could Hadad or Rezon have done to so powerful a king as Solomon, if he had not by sin made himself mean and weak? If God be on our side, we need not fear the greatest adversary; but if he be against us, he can make us fear the least; yea, the grasshopper shall be a burden. And reigned over Syria — Over all that part of Syria, enlarging his empire the more, and thereby laying a foundation for much misery to Solomon’s kingdom.

Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

(25) Beside the mischief that Hadad did.—The expression, as it stands, is curiously abrupt in its recurrence to Hadad. But the text is doubtful. (See Note on 1Ki_11:21-22.) If the general reading of the LXX. be taken, the substitution of Edom for Syria (Aram) (it involves but slight change in the Hebrew) must be accepted; if the explanation of Josephus is correct, then the reading of the text must stand.

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

25. all the days of Solomon] Probably Rezon was able to establish himself in Damascus even before the death of David. For some time he would be obliged to collect his strength to be ready for future attacks on Israel, but he may well have been a source of anxiety to Solomon from the first. Damascus was near enough, and a band of men such as those who supported Rezon would make a constant thorn for Solomon’s side, even though they attempted no regular warfare.

beside the mischief that Hadad did] This sentence can only be thus translated. There is a similar rendering of the like Hebrew ואת in 1Ki_11:1 ‘together with’ the daughter of Pharaoh (marg. R.V. ‘besides’). But it is very questionable whether this can be so rendered. The LXX. (Vat.) which omits 23, 24, and great part of the present verse renders as if, for ואת, they had read זאת = this. See the LXX. variations above, in note on 1Ki_11:22. These make the whole passage refer not to Rezon but to Hadad, and in consequence the word Syria, ארם, i.e. Aram, is changed into אדם, Edom, and it is certain that we do expect to hear more of the mischief which Hadad wrought. All we are told is that he got permission to come back to Edom. But we hear no word of any armament or invasion by him.

and he abhorred Israel] Though he had deserted Hadadezer this was no reason why he should side with the Israelitish invaders. They had driven him and his troop into the wilderness and no harm which he could work upon them would be left undone. This is just the sort of opponent who might worry Solomon for a long time without being deemed serious, but who might before the end of Solomon’s reign, in the period of that king’s unwise yielding to his wives, become really a dangerous adversary. With Hadad in the south and Rezon on the north, each growing daily stronger, the crippling of Solomon’s power was effectually begun.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

And Jeroboam the son of Nebat,.... According to some Jewish writers (r), this was Sheba the son of Bichri; but, as Kimchi observes, he was of the tribe of Benjamin, this of Ephraim; and besides, his head was cut off, and thrown over the wall to Joab, Sa2 20:1,

an Ephrathite of Zereda; some where in the tribe of Ephraim, but nowhere else mentioned. There was a famous Jewish doctor, before the times of Christ, of this place, as it seems, who was called Jose ben Joezer, a man of Zereda (s):

Solomon's servant; not only his subject, but one that had been advanced by him to an office, and served under him, Kg1 11:28,

whose mother's name was Zeruah, a widow woman; who very probably was supported by this her son, an industrious and ingenious man:

even he lifted up his hand against the king; either against Solomon, by reproaching and reproving him for some things he did; or rather against Rehoboam his son, which was very ungrateful.

(r) Shalshalet Hakabala, p. 11. (s) Pirke Abot, c. 1. sect. 4.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Solomon, after he once began. (Haydock) --- Adad. Hebrew, "and with the evil of Adad, and he detested Israel." (Menochius) --- Razon and Adad conspired to attack Solomon. (Haydock) --- Adad may be the common name of the kings of Damascus. Some copies of the Septuagint do not speak of Razon, but continue the history of Adad, ver. 14. They also read Edom here instead of Aram, or Syria, which would remove the confusion. (Calmet) --- Adad, Razon, and Jeroboam always oppugn Solomon after his fall; and signify the flesh, the world, and the devil. (Worthington)

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

He was a secret enemy, watching all occasions to do them mischief cunningly and privately all that time; and when Solomon had forsaken God, and was forsaken by God, he showed himself more openly and maliciously.

Beside the mischief that Hadad did; so the sense is, this infelicity was added to the former concerning Hadad, mentioned above, 1Ki 11:14, &c. Whilst Hadad molested him in the south, Rezon threatened him in the north. But some understand this of Hadadezer, who is here called Hadad, by way of abbreviation, (which is not unusual in proper Hebrew names, as is well known,) and that for, or because of, (for the Hebrew particle eth is sometimes put for el, which oft signifies for, or because of, as Hebricians know,) the evil which befell Hadad, or Hadadezer, i.e. he bore a grudge against the Israelites from and ever since the slaughter that Joab made in Hadadezer’s army, whereof he was a member, although he also took that occasion of making a defection from his master.

Reigned over Syria; over all that part of Syria, enlarging his empire more and more, and thereby laying a foundation for much misery to Solomon’s house and kingdom.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

25. All the days of Solomon — Whence it appears that he must have established himself at Damascus before, or soon after, the death of David. In what particular way he acted the part of an adversary does not appear, but perhaps it was, as Josephus states, by making occasional incursions into the land of Israel. His hostility was probably not of sufficient magnitude to cause Solomon, a man who loved peace, and was constitutionally averse to war, to raise an army or make any great effort to oppose him; but his neglect to pay tribute, and his hostile attitude toward Israel, would naturally trouble Solomon with constant apprehension of danger; and once, at least, he led or sent an expedition against Hamath-zobah, (see 2Ch_8:3,) perhaps to put down an insurrection started by this same Rezon.

Besides the mischief that Hadad — Here there seems to be something wanting in the Hebrew text. To say, he was an adversary besides the mischief, etc., is, to say the least, a strange manner of expression. The Septuagint, Vulgate, Syriac, and Arabic versions also vary from the Hebrew. The Septuagint, reading זאתinstead of ואת, has: This is the evil which Adar did. And this is probably the true reading, and may still be made out of the Hebrew text by a simple changing of the Masoretic punctuation, and substituting זfor ו. The meaning then will be, This same kind of mischief (incursions in the land of Israel like those of Rezon) wrought also Hadad. He, like Rezon, became captain of a band, and excited insurrections, and ravaged remote portions of Solomon’s empire.

He abhorred Israel, and reigned over Syria — If the correction above proposed be the true reading of the original Hebrew text, then these sentences should be understood of Hadad and not of Rezon. This would confirm the account of Hadad given by Josephus, (see note on 1Ki_11:22,) that failing to persuade the people of Edom to revolt from Solomon he joined himself to Rezon, and became, first, master of a company of men, and then ruler of a part of Syria. Instead of over Syria, the Septuagint, Syriac, and Arabic read over Edom.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

And he was an adversary to Israel all the days of Solomon We are not compelled, however, to believe that his reign lasted "all the days of Solomon." This last expression is to be taken with considerable latitude. It is an Orientalism. At the time of, 1Ki_5:4, neither Hadad nor Rezon was giving Solomon any trouble beside the mischief which Hadad did Heb. omits did. The construction of the Hebrew (see Ewald, 277 d (2), 292 b, note) is difficult. Literally, and with the evil which Hadad," etc. (comp. ver. 1 of this chapter, "and with the daughter," etc., with Exo_1:14, Hebrews) The LXX reconstructs the text, making the following words, "and he abhorred," etc., apply to Hadad; and altering Syria ( into Eden ( to suit. But it is far better to understand h (with our Authorized Version); i.e., beside the mischief which Hadad did (or, "beside the mischief of Hadad," Ewald). "And he (Rezon) abhorred," etc. Hadad"s enmity has already been described (vers. 17-22), and the historian has passed on to the case of Rezon. It is extremely unlikely that he should now suddenly recur exclusively to Hadad. It is very natural for him, on the other hand, in his account of Rezon, to remind us that all this was in addition to the mischief wrought by Hadad: and he abhorred Heb. loathed Israel, and reigned over Syria.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

All adversity - He was a secret enemy, all that time; and when Solomon had forsaken God, he shewed himself openly. Beside - This infelicity was added to the former; whilst Hadad molested him in the south, Rezon threatened him in the north. But what hurt could Hadad or Rezon have done, to so powerful a king as Solomon, if he had not by sin made himself mean and weak? If God be on our side, we need not fear the greatest adversary. But if he be against us, he can make us fear the least: yea, the grasshopper shall be a burden. Syria - Over all that part of Syria, enlarging his empire the more, and thereby laying a foundation for much misery to Solomon's kingdom.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

In conjunction with the evil of Hadad. Together with the evil that was perpetrated by Hadad, was also this evil of Rezon.

Rashi on the Tanakh — English translations: “The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg” (CC BY 4.0); “Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934” (public domain); “The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J” (CC BY 4.0); and “The Book of Joshua, Metsudah Publications, 1997” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.